Founder Profile

Pew is an independent nonprofit organization – the sole beneficiary of seven individual trusts established between 1948 and 1979 by four generous and committed siblings. Learn more about one of our founders: Mary Ethel Pew.

More than a dozen veterans representing 10 states and the District of Columbia took a message to Capitol Hill this week: Restore America’s national parks.

The group delivered a letter to lawmakers urging them to pass the National Park Service Legacy Act, bipartisan legislation that would dedicate annual federal funds to park maintenance. The letter, signed by over 500 veterans’ groups and individuals, said investment is needed to restore and maintain park sites that honor the sacrifices of servicemen and women.

The veterans also met with Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke, a former Navy SEAL and proponent of addressing the park service’s $11.3 billion maintenance backlog.

America's National Parks: Upkeep Required

The National Park Service needs almost $12 billion to eliminate its backlog of deferred maintenance. The Pew Charitable Trusts' campaign to restore America's parks has created a series of case studies highlighting examples of repairs needed at our nation's treasures.